This place used to be called Sachs Hotel. Sachs was a landmark hotel but for all the wrong reasons - it was like a larger version of Fawlty Towers and the nightclub downstairs was like an episode of The Love Boat.... so you would think opening up a new hotel here would be like trying to remove a ...

This is a grand pub serving decent Guinness, the interior is authentic and the place feels like a proper local. Unfortunately we didn't secure the coveted window seats (that Susan Q made reference to in her review) and had to make do with the high stools in the bar area. My only gripe is that the...

I saw Avatar here the other night and really enjoyed it. Dundrum is my usual haunt but Vue is much better value - unlike Dundrum, you don't have to pay extra for a 3D movie here, the 3D glasses are free, the parking is free and the VIP seating only costs €1.50 more. The cinema probably could hav...

As video shops go, this Xtra-vision is grand - the staff are friendly and if you're looking for a new or recent release you should be fine. That said, if you're looking for a cult or "B" movie or anything off the beaten track for that matter... I suggest you try LASER in Ranelagh. The other good ...

I was in here before Christmas and got some photos printed on canvas for a present. While the canvas sizes usually range from A4 to A1, they were able to frame the canvas to the exact dimensions I needed. I got two photos printed and they both turned out really well... but more importantly the pe...

This is a big Costa and it needs to be as it's always relatively busy. However, they seem to consistently underestimate sandwich demand and its quite normal to find the less popular egg and tuna sandwiches to be the only ones left on the shelf - booooh! Other than this, it serves-up decent coffee...

Parisian this place is not, its a brewery sized pub that is popular at weekends and empty and soulless during the week. I was in here on Tuesday night, the Guinness was nothing to write home about and the food just average. The highlight is the handy ATM hidden near the stairs towards the back.

If you want great espresso at Italian prices (€1 a shot!) made by an Irish and world champion barista, then this is the place - simple as that! I even got some friendly advice to where I could source a decent coffee grinder online.

I used to enjoy air travel but with the advent of low fare airlines the glamour has been replaced with luminous yellow and blue cabins, lilliputian-like amounts of leg room and airports that are called after a city but reside somewhere else (e.g. Brussels South). That said, I recently flew from L...

I've ate and drank here on many occasions and its never disappointed. The food is excellent and the beer is just as good - the Kasteel Cru-Beer (made from Champagne yeast!) is not to be missed... and reminds me of the type of football played by a certain team (in red) up the road! There's also a ...

This stand has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a coffee tent (see original pic)... and I'm happy to report that the coffee hasn't changed - the espresso is still as good as ever but now you can enjoy operatic style music and San Pellegrino water with your coffee. With Barista Awards...

Setanta Place Car Park is a handy car park in a good location. That said, I've found it to be a lot more expensive than most of its neighbours and because it was one of the first car parks in Dublin, the place isn't as well designed as some of the more modern car parks around town so some of the ...

Let's Eat In was way ahead of its time when it opened its first venture in Shankill village - suddenly we didn't need to fight over Chinese or Thai, Indian or Pizza - Let's Eat In solved this problem by offering a takeaway service that aggregated lots of different takeaways into one - clever!

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Flux Café is located on the ground floor of The Science Gallery, it is a bright and airy space that looks out onto the busy Pearse Street - so if you're into people watching this is the place! I grabbed an espresso here and wasn't disappointed, the coffee was excellent and they even brought a gla...

Picked up a takeaway from here the other night and it really hit the spot. Took Ben M.'s advice and tried one of the wok dishes (with beef), the food was easily restaurant quality and the vegetables were extremely fresh - not a bad result for just 15 minutes of waiting!

I was here again tonight to watch the second leg of the Irish World Cup Qualifier against France - pretty much every table here has a flat screen television to itself, as well as a giant screen that serves the whole bar - so it's the ideal place to watch a match.

While enjoying the first 102 ...

If you like snugs, poured concrete floors and a decent pint of plain then Toners is the place for you... it's O'Donoghue's without the price tag and Doheny & Nesbitt without the pretense.

There is also a room upstairs that can be rented out for the evening (for free!) which can accommodate an...

There once was a time when the Subway on Nassau Street was the only Subway in Dublin... however, this was a good few months ago at this stage so I won't reminisce too much! The current economic climate seems to be the perfect opportunity for the likes of Lidl, Subway, etc. to start spreading thei...

This is one awesome stadium. I've attended both rugby and football matches here and it works well for both. Unlike Twickenham, it's central location means that on match day precious time isn't lost commuting to and from the stadium; in fact the only type of commuting you'll be doing here is the c...

The ferry terminal wouldn't usually be my first 'port' of call when it comes to lunch. That said, today it was! They do a good sandwich plus coffee deal - €5.99 all in. The coffee was excellent and they even toasted the baguette for me - definitely worth checking out.

Friendly staff, good coffee, plenty of seats (inside and out)... however, suggestive stains on the upholstery (due to excessive milk/coffee spillage)... would suggest to me that the seats need a good clean!

Clean seats and this place would get 4 stars.

This Insomnia Café is tucked away in the corner of Meadows & Byrne, accessible from both the shop and the promenade outside. It's small and during inclement weather the seating is limited... that said, get a nice day and you can sit outside where there's plenty of tables and chairs. The coffee is...

Kennedy's is an inviting little deli and a great addition to the foodscape in Enniskerry Village. The place oozes country cooking and although it's small it has plenty of nice things to look at and explore - for me it's a nice and welcome alternative to Avoca in Powerscourt. I picked up some deli...

I don't know about you but I've always dreamt about opening my own restaurant... and Deanes Deli is pretty much how I imagined it - cosy bistro, blackboards for menus, wine bottles, candles and of course great food that won't break the bank. If you're a wine buff, they hold a wine club on the las...

I got the train from here to Belfast the other day and have to say I really enjoyed the journey. If there was a tidy towns competition equivalent for train stations, Drogheda Station would win hands-down, it's picture perfect and has a real old world feel (old brick work, hanging baskets, station...

First off, I have to admit this is a very welcome addition to the newly opened food court in Nutgrove Shopping Centre. I work nearby so the idea of an Italian deli counter serving illy (i.e. decent) coffee opening up just around the corner was a very exciting prospect indeed. This place has so mu...

Loughlinstown Leisure Centre has decent 6-a-side astro pitches and a good multi-purpose indoor sports hall. The gym is mediocre and the free weights section is limited, while this place is nothing really to write home about... the parking is plentiful and the rates charged are affordable compared...

Pizzas are not new to Ireland - thanks to Findus who made the concept of (frozen!) pizza mainstream back in the 80's. However, there's still not very many places in Dublin, let alone Ireland, where you can get a really authentic Italian pizza - i.e. a pizza where you need a micrometer to measure ...

Florry Batt's has gone for a less is more approach... the interior is basic and the very bright lights that illuminate the bar only emphasise the simplicity of the place. While the Guinness is good here, I only found myself staying for one but if they fitted a dimmer switch I'd happily spend an e...

I'm finding myself popping in here more and more these days so I feel my first review of this place might have been a little rash and a bit harsh.

Perhaps they've got over their initial teething problems or perhaps I've just got used to the Wilde-ness of the place! The coffee is really excell...

This place rocks and caters for all tastes... if you're in the mood for hard rock and death metal go downstairs and turn left, if you're in the mood for hard rock without the death go downstairs and turn right... and if you're completely void of the inner goth stay upstairs and use the toilets ac...

This landmark pub hasn't changed much over the years. It's definitely not an oul' mans pub nor is it one of these modern minimalist brown leather couches and beige lampshade efforts either - bright lighting, a Tyrolean-like painted ceiling and Grecian statuettes behind the bar are just some of th...

I'm not the biggest fan of seafood so I can't say that I was ecstatic when one of the guys I was playing golf with at the weekend proposed we dined here. The menu is limited for meatitarians like myself so I had to settle for vegetable soup and a baked ham salad which wasn't bad but judging by th...

Not the nicest of the Butlers Chocolate Cafés... but not the busiest either - which is a good thing as the one on Wicklow Street can get a bit packed. The espresso is excellent and as Susan Q. rightly pointed out you can't beat the free chocolate with the coffee. My only gripe is that the chocola...

If the sun comes out and you're in need of a cup of coffee, head straight to this place.... you can grab a fairly decent cup of coffee here, soak up a bit of sun, people watch and enjoy one of the best views of Dublin.

They also do coffee to-go in the event of less favourable weather conditions!

I discovered this place purely by chance, it's a beautiful little park that once was an important reservoir to the city. Today, it offers an oasis of calm... minutes from the hustle and bustle of busy O'Connell Street. It's the perfect spot to chill or eat your lunch, and reminds me of the Iveagh...

This is your standard issue Starbucks - stocking all the usual Starbucks stuff: food, music CDs, etc. The coffee is good but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of seating here, which is strange, as it's located in a very busy area - so be prepared to have to take-out instead of eating-in a...

The Expresso Bar Café offer brunch on a Saturday until around five o'clock and cook a fry to absolute perfection. The freshly squeezed orange juice is awesome and their espresso is better than their spelling! A very sophisticated way to cure a hangover - four stars from me!

Although this hotel could do with a small amount of modernisation, The Royal Garden Hotel is a very comfortable hotel and boasts a fantastic location, on the corner of Hyde Park - one side overlooks the fashionable Kensington High Street and the other side it's picturesque namesake Kensington Gar...

If you want to experience proper afternoon tea (in a palace garden), then this is the place... simple as that!

Lido is a really handy café to know about and a great place to stop off for a drink or a quick snack while enjoying a walk, cycle or swim in Hyde Park. Getting a seat outside on a nice summers day can be difficult though and the inside bit is a bit too modern and sterile for my liking! :( If gett...

This is a two star supermarket in a three star hotel - it's a step above a Spar but lacks the selection of a supermarket.

It's positioned itself as a good value supermarket and the solution to there being no Aldi or Lidl in the Dublin 4 area. It has the Lidl and Aldi feel, lot's of large speci...

I've been going to MSL to get my car serviced for over five years now and it's been a bit of a roller-coaster... some good experiences and some bad experiences. That said, it was all good on my most recent trip here as the parts department went above and beyond the call of duty and have made amen...

If there's ever a place you wanted to be on Arthur's day this is it - great Guinness in untouched surroundings.

These guys are good... very good!

There's no gold, silver, bronze or platinum wash to choose from here... you simply ask for a car wash and it costs you €10 (or slightly more if it's a jeep or MPV). The best bit of all is that they have this magic spray that they spray on your wheels, etc. to ...

If there was ever a Sunday drinking pub, the Queens is it!

If the weather is favourable you can drink outside, if there's a match on you can drink inside (and watch it on their big screen), if you get peckish they serve food and if you don't want to go home at close you can go upstairs to the...

On the upside, this is a step up from the Spar across the road. While it mightn't have the same selection of newspapers and magazines, there's a much better selection of food. There's also a much better selection of beer and wine in the off licence section.

Now for the bad bit.... if you're dr...

Great spot, good Guinness and awful toilets - what more could you ask for?

The bar has a bit of a biker feel to it... even though there was no bikers in sight! It's like the Bruxelles of Camden Street... just with a little less death and a bit more trance! Apparently there's a DJ there most n...

I made my way to Zaytoon after a couple of pints in 'Anseo' on Thursday night. I had heard great things about Zaytoon.... some said their kebabs could cure hangovers... others said it gave them special taxi hailing powers...

Perhaps, I should have ate it there and then rather than nursing it ...

Perhaps I'm being a little cynical... but if a visitor can locate this tourist information hut it's more than likely they already know where they're going. I'm no expert but perhaps Bray DART station (which also happens to be the main bus terminus) would have been a more sensible site for a Touri...

Decent sandwiches, great staff and reliable coffee - what more could you ask for?

Even though this café is in the middle of a retail/business park, it's quite pleasant to sit outside it on a sunny day - it gets pretty busy during peak times and at weekends so not always as pleasant as it coul...

A standard Topaz garage with a well stocked shop and a self-service deli-style coffee counter. The staff are friendly and the car wash, while dated looking, does the job. My only gripe is that due to the layout you're either going to the petrol station or the shopping centre but definitely not bo...

I've been getting my petrol here for years and have witnessed this place evolve from a petrol station with a small shop that sold oil, windscreen washer fluid and a couple of cans of coke and bars of chocolate to what it is today - off licence, ATM, newsagents, deli and of course petrol station.
...

I usually go to the Bombay Pantry in Clonskeagh but I grabbed dinner here last night as I was out this direction. I had my usual, chicken biryani, and it was excellent. Unfortunately, I can't comment on Sarah F's observation below as I always get the same thing and have nothing to compare it to -...

I rented the works from here for my friend's wedding a while back - the suits were pretty cool (tails etc.) and were in really good nick. The staff were helpful and made sure we were all kitted out properly... they also keep your measurements on file so that you don't have to make a trip in each ...

This is an award winning butcher shop that has long queues - on sunny days this place has longer queues than the 99 machine down the town!

T Furlong & Son is hog heaven for any BBQ enthusiast as they have a whole barbecue range - their extensive range of party packs can serve between 4-10 peop...

I was here last night to celebrate a special occasion and Nonna Valentina didn't disappoint - it was even better than I had remembered.

Food, prosseco and house wine were all excellent. I went with the three course set menu (for €30) which was extensive and really good value - as the starter ...

Rathsallagh is how you imagine a country house hotel should be - tucked away, welcoming and full of character.

I had lunch here on Sunday with my family and it was awesome - I can't remember the last time I had such a good Sunday lunch out. It was a buffet style lunch and each course was subl...

The Brazen Head is a real landmark and is one of the oldest pubs in Dublin - it's a great place for pints and to bring tourists to, I can't comment on the food as I've never tried it. The only issue for me is the hassle of trying to get there but I doubt the oldest pub in Dublin is going to reloc...

A great Indian restaurant - before, after or without the pub! The food is excellent, the interior is comfortable and the place has a warm traditional feel. There's a couple of bottles of Indian wine on the menu which I thought was interesting and look forward to trying sometime... I'm also lookin...

This place is a great addition to the Dundrum Town Centre - Douglas & Kaldi is an upmarket café style restaurant with a nice interior and an even better exterior - the terrace is spacious and is a great place to soak up the afternoon/evening sun.

I didn't get to try the grub but the menu is ex...

Looking out the office window on a sunny day like this reminds me of looking out the window of the Berkeley Library at The Pav... only difference being I could do something about it back then! God I miss this place...

I had many a good night here - lazing out on the grass, drinking a pint (bou...

I only discovered this place the other day but was back here again this morning! It's owned by the famous Mortons of Ranelagh... which is also located just beside a LUAS stop - I see a pattern emerging here!

To call this place a Supermarket would be an exaggeration and to call it a convenience...

This is the most reliable place for a cup of coffee at the airport (as long as you're flying somewhere as it's through the security check!).

Food-wise... their sandwiches and pastries aren't bad either, I usually grab the pain au chocolat to have with my espresso and the ham and swiss roll f...

I was really excited about visiting "Little Italy" and had been planning to take a trip in there for awhile - it's a wholesalers that stocks just Italian goods and while it's aimed at the catering industry, it's also open to the public. However, it's only open on Saturday mornings at the weekend ...

McCann's Dry Cleaners used to be located in the Old Dundrum Shopping Centre but now that Dundrum Town Centre Phase 2 is on the way they've jumped ship to a new premises across the road. The new premises is okay, it's a bit more awkward parking-wise but as long as the Old Dundrum Shopping Centre c...

Like Mary H., I'd always been a big fan of Brasserie na Mara (the restaurant that used to be here) and was worried that Hartley's might not live up to the high standards set by it's predecessor.

Well, if anything it's probably that bit better now - the place has a had a lick of paint, the con...

Good food, great beer and a wonderful beer garden - can't say a bad word about this place... well, perhaps the pear schnapps should be avoided!! ;)

Decent little coffee stand (with a cool retro looking coffee machine), however their daily stock of sandwiches tends to get sold out quite quickly... especially if there's a conference on in the hotel and it's raining outside - i.e. this occurs on a regular basis!

I went to see Des Bishop here last night, it was my first time in Vicar Street and really enjoyed it.

It's an intimate "pillar-less" venue which means there's not a bad seat in the house. The Des Bishop gig was all seating - I was sitting on a stool at one of the small tables which I thought w...

I wanted to take advantage of the nice weather over the weekend so I took a spin down here on the back of Laura M.'s review.

It's a great spot for a walk, jog, cycle or even a spot of fishing! Plus, you get a really different perspective of Dublin. The surface is a little uneven so it's a good...

With the recent improvements to the N11, it's hard to justify a pit stop between Dublin and Gorey. That said, The Garden Café puts a strong case forward!

I stopped off here on the way back from a weekend in Wexford and wasn't disappointed. It's not as easy as jumping off the dual-carriageway a...

While not cheap at €7.50 an adult, the gardens are a great place to bring kids - I had some of my best games of army here as a kid! It's also a good place to stretch your legs after lunch in the Garden Café (located at the entrance to the gardens). A really nice day out.

It's my birthday today so I decided to treat myself to an ice cream... any old excuse!

Aussie Ice is a boutique-like ice cream parlour serving-up a wide selection of interesting flavours. That said, it was my first ice cream of the season so I decided to play it safe and got a tub of vanilla....

A lesser known playground located in the southern extremity of Herbert Park, featuring a good selection of slides, swings and spiny around things!

It's accessible from Eglinton Terrace (the street behind the Bective end of Donnybrook Stadium) so it's much handier than the other Herbert Park P...

As a bit of a tourist to the area, I popped in here to grab a map and see what was going down. The office is cramped and you can barely move if there's more than three or four people in there. Other than that, there's all the usual stuff you'd find in a tourist office: maps, events guide, flyers,...

I used the 'Cycle Surgery' bike shop (that's part of Snow & Rock) yesterday to buy some new tyres for my bike. The dudes in the workshop were so helpful they even fitted the tyres for me - saving a few of my spoons at home from certain bend-age!

I was back in again this morning to get my hydr...

I popped down to Nutgrove Shopping Centre yesterday to buy a folder, a puncher (for a ring binder), staples and a couple of pens... and to be honest I wasn't overly optimistic in sourcing any of these items as I don't really hold Nutgrove Shopping Centre in the highest regard... but how wrong was...

No one would believe you if you told them you went all the way to Hollywood for a pint of Guinness... and they certainly wouldn't believe you if you followed it up with the statement: "...and it was the best pint I've had for a while"... Well, it's true and it doesn't involve long haul travel... ...

A great facility which badly needs better public transport links - there's been many a day (and night!) that I have made the long and lonely walk to the main road to get a taxi or bus... but hopefully the next phase of the LUAS will help sort this out to some extent! I also think it would double ...

Watched the tail-end of the Munster V Leinster game here on Saturday night, the Guinness was of a good standard and the food was excellent. I had a sirloin steak which was cooked to perfection... as pub grub goes this is as good as it gets. While it's a good place to watch a match, I think the sc...

I was here again on Saturday, however this time it was more of a pre-match than a pre-theatre dinner. As always, the service, food and atmosphere was second to none. As I mentioned in my previous review, one of my favourite things about pre-theatre dining here is that they will even go as far as ...

Maybe it's a sign of the times but who would have thought the Rhino Room/Cookes Restaurant would now be a burger joint. That said, at least it's a gourmet one!

I ate here a couple of weeks ago on my way from the pub to a club and I must say I really enjoyed it. The burger was good and the beer...

I went to see a play here last night, called 'Stags & Hens', that my cousin was starring in and really enjoyed the night.

The theatre is intimate and is located at the back of a socialist book shop so as you can probably imagine this place bellows bohemianism! There's also no such thing as a b...

My sister's car got a little bit of a bash a few weeks ago so I told her I'd help her get it fixed-up - on the back of Rory's good experience below, I decided to give BP Auto Craft a go...

The centre is tucked away down a lane way beside the Credit Union just off bath avenue and is run by a he...

Great (award winning) sausages, unfortunately the rest could be improved upon!

For me, the jury is still out on Starbucks... but as Starbucks go this one's pretty good and actually lives up to what they say... "it's not the coffee, it's the coffee experience"! Perhaps it's the location... coffee shops seem to complement book shops pretty well and vice-versa. It's also locat...

Stopped off here on the way to Baltinglass recently (on the back of Sean and Matthew's reviews below), unfortunately the house wasn't open so had to make do with the Café and the maze.

On arrival it was straight to the café... although I must admit I was a little dubious when I first strolled...

The National Concert Hall is a place I've always enjoyed going to and every year the events line-up here just get's better and better. While the majority of their events are classical or operatic in nature, they do throw a couple of curve balls into the mix too, like a Glenn Miller tribute band o...

Happy to report they're still serving espresso with a glass of tap water here (unprompted)... must be one of the only places in Dublin doing this - upgrading my previous review from four to five stars on the back of it!

Great deli counter and shop too, expensive but the real McCoy!

Good atmosphere, great snug and a decent pint of plain... what more could you ask for?

A recently renovated pharmacy that is well-stocked and which is open late (until 9pm) Monday to Friday.

As local pharmacies go, this place is as good as it gets... my only gripe is that the staff here seem to blow hot and cold. On my most recent trip here (last night!), I bought €27 worth of ...

The last proper local before you hit the chaos of town, the Guinness is good and a favourite of mine for a midweek pint. On Friday nights the work crowd pile in so some of the local flavour is lost but who goes for a quiet pint on a Friday anyway?!

A disappointing scaled-down Tesco - a step above a Tesco Express and light years behind The Merrion Centre Tesco (which is only a ten minutes drive away).

I went in here to do a weekly shop and came out with only a handful of stuff - the coffee I usually get in other Tescos wasn't stocked her...

I discovered this market just a couple of months ago and find it a really good way to shop and a nice break from the norm - there's a great selection of vegetables, meat and cheese to choose from.... and the freshly baked breads, cakes and scones make even a hungover trip in the rain worth while ...

I bought an engagement ring here last week. Out of all the jewellery shops I visited, Rocks were easily the best. The staff are knowledgeable, (very!) patient and eager to help. They make all their own jewellery which makes each piece that bit more special and makes Rocks that bit different from ...

I've mixed feelings about this car park... if it's possible to have feelings about a car park in the first place!?!

On the plus side the spaces are wide, there's lots of 'mother & child' and disabled parking, 3 hours of parking only costs €2 (except in the Tesco overground car park!?) and the ...

Marks & Spencer probably deserves 5 stars for simply being the only Supermarket on Grafton Street. However, it's the lunch time offering that seals it for me as they now have a dedicated section of the supermarket for Grab 'n Go style lunches as well as a small seating section if you'd prefer to ...

After reading Rory S.'s review (below) and having watched a Woody Allen movie the night before, I was in the zone and all set to try my first Irish non-'Central Park' pretzel and I'm happy to report it was good. I do think it's a bit of a strange location for a pretzel stand but all in all it mak...

Furama is a really good Chinese restaurant... and do they know it! Not only is the exterior wall covered in plaques, awards and medals but the reception area and entrance hall are too. Another touch that adds to the exclusivity of this place is the fact you must ring a doorbell to gain entry.

...

I had a wedding on Saturday and discovered my suit in a ball (as my mother would say) on Thursday... Milltown dry cleaners to the rescue! Great service and quick turnaround. A little bit on the pricey side so I'll be hanging my suit up properly from now on - €18 to get a suit dry cleaned - is tha...

When it comes to Indian takeaways I'm usually a Bombay Pantry man but after hearing glowing reports of this place, I decided to give it a whirl and I wasn't disappointed. Just as The Economist magazine uses the Big Mac index as a financial indicator, I use the Chicken Biryani index to compare Ind...

What the Batcave is to Gotham City this is to Dublin... for me anyway, this is one of the best kept secrets in Dublin and a discovery I'm very proud of (and reluctant to share!)... for the simple reason, it has 460 car parking spaces (including disabled parking) and only costs €7.50 a day (and it...

I'm going to begin by saying everything started off so well... I was delighted to discover (what I believe to be) a new Italian Café on the top floor of the Powerscourt Centre. It was lunchtime, we got a great table beside the balcony, the tables were all dressed with red table cloths and there w...

Good size car park with plentiful parking midweek... can't speak for the weekends. The surface car park seems to be that bit busier than the underground but then again maybe the underground is that bit bigger. Both underground and overground car parks have good access to the shopping centre itsel...

Thanks to Susan Q's heads-up (below)...I'm now addicted to Café Léon's Millefeuille pastry. It started off as a casual coffee accompaniment and since I've discovered you can take them away... my disposition for these pastries is bordering on problematic! It's worth noting that Millefeuilles seem ...

"A tiny cavernous tapas and wine bar beautifully lit by candles", as Mary H. so eloquently put it. For me, this was the best tapas I've tasted outside of Barcelona and the atmosphere here is second to none. What I like about tapas is that it seems to be fueled by indecisiveness, you don't need to...

Movies @Dundrum's (not so great) website was down this weekend so I couldn't check what was on... let alone book a film (boo!). However, I've been meaning to try a more 'alternative' venue (like the IFI) for a while now but just haven't got around to it. If you ask me, the lack of web know-how at...

The CRO is a well run statutory body. The staff are excellent and I've always found them to be extremely knowledgeable and keen to help (both in person and on the phone). My only real gripe is that the location of the office itself is a bit of a pain, both from the point of view of trying to get ...

L'Officina is a real favourite of mine, it serves-up really good food and coffee in a relaxed laid-back Italian way. Their panini and minestrone soup are awesome and make-up my staple diet when I visit here for lunch! It's also a good spot for dinner with a good range of pasta dishes and their sp...

A beautiful store and café in a truly picturesque setting, and the ideal place to bring tourists visiting (especially during the summer months). I was up here at the weekend and the place was like a winter market, as there's great presents to be found here for girlfriends, Mums and sisters (...in...

A winter watering hole - warm wood panelled walls and cosy snugs make this the perfect pre-Christmas drinks venue. I was in here on Saturday and enjoyed their "afternoon fare" (posh pub grub meets afternoon tea). I wasn't the only one with the idea as many of the best tables were reserved.. so ri...

Better late than never, this ia a well designed memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in service. This illuminated monument (that I had never seen before or heard of until last night) makes for a welcome break when strolling up Merrion Square West. I particularly liked the eternal fl...

I picked-up some Pain au Chocolats here this morning on the way to the office, I hadn't been into this place since it changed from a Centra to a Spar but I'm happy to report that the transition has been kind. As Spars go this place is massive and is only a few aisles short of being a real competi...

I used this car park last Sunday during the Christmas mayhem. If you're in town on a Sunday you can't beat this car park as it's only €5 to park there for the whole day. Luckily the Brown Thomas car park was full or else I wouldn't have had that extra €8 or €10 to spend on presents - someone woul...

Grabbed lunch here today, first time in ages. It was a bit like a scene from a Kellogg's Cornflakes commercial... i.e. I forgot how good it tasted! The Golden Olive Restaurant forms part of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland and so is an interesting place to go and visit even if you're not ha...

I'm usually a Hodges Figgis or Waterstones man but on the back of Charlie H.'s review (below) I've been meaning to give Chapters a try.. I eventually got round to it this weekend and wasn't disappointed. From what I can recall, this is a serious leap forward layout-wise from the Middle Abbey Stre...

Cafe Novo is a little bit of an undiscovered gem just off Grafton Street. It's part of the Westbury Hotel but don't be put off by this as it doesn't have the hotel bar or lobby feel you usually get from these type of efforts. It's funky, cosy and in my opinion a good place to stop off for a drink...

I like the Epicurean Food Hall a lot, it's one of my favourite places to lunch. That said, my adversity to risk means I never take full advantage of it... as I only tend to switch between Itsa Bagel and La Corte (depending on my mood). In my opinion, the really great thing about the Epicurean foo...

Brambles has Cafés on two separate levels here at The Beacon Hospital and another outside in the centre of the industrial estate - so it's quickly establishing itself as the Starbucks of Sandyford! Before Brambles moved into Sandyford, the industrial estate was a pretty lonely place for coffee lo...

Excellent Indian takeaway - like all the other Bombay Pantrys the food here is cooked fresh for all to see. I always admire restaurants and takeaways that aren't afraid to open up the kitchen and let their customers have a good old gawk at their food being cooked - for me it inspires confidence! ...

Café Mao is a regular haunt of mine, it's funky, the food is good and the service is always excellent. On my most recent trip, tonight(!), I availed of their December special - starter and (any) main course for €18.95 - you don't get much better than that. My favourite dishes here have got to be ...

Just in case anyone missed this in the news, this Travel Agent no longer has a licence to operate. It has also left more than 1,100 children and adults hoping to travel to Lapland in limbo - bah, humbug! You've been warned...

I'd usually go to Shankill Tyres (as they have always served me well in the past) however my inability to plan a puncture forced me to go to United Tyres in Donnybrook. First off, I can't fault the service, speed or the attention to detail that I got here. However, during these mildly deflationar...

I don't get to do it as often as I'd like, but for me, there's no better way to spend a Sunday morning than with a stroll along Clontarf seafront followed by a coffee and paper from The Food Room. The Food Room is rightly dubbed the Donnybrook Fair of the Northside. It's a boutique-like convenien...

I have to agree with Ian M., the food here is fine but not restaurant quality (as the brand would suggest). Somewhere in the transition from DIEP Le Shaker to DIEP AT HOME something was lost. My main complaint is that I find most of the dishes to be quite salty and that the vegetables could be th...

Clogher Road Community Sports Centre is a well run sports centre with good facilities. I played indoor football here last weekend and while I usually prefer playing outdoors the hall here is bright and airy so for once playing indoors didn't bother me. There's lots of parking here too, so don't w...

If you like Asian food, especially Thai food, then you'll like Yo' Thai. Strategically positioned above a landmark watering hole, Yo' Thai has all the ingredients for the perfect night out. Start the night off with an aperitif in Kielys before retiring upstairs for traditional Thai fare in a not ...

This is a good sized convenience store with a deli counter, off licence & post office. The off licence was not designed with the wine connoisseur in mind but if you're looking for a six pack of lager look no further! The best thing about this place is the ample parking you'll find outside, in con...

A proper deli which makes top notch sandwiches but be warned it gets exceptionally busy at lunchtime with all the nearby offices. Fresh fillings, a good selection of bread, helpful staff and a charismatic owner (who always has a word for you) make the wait worthwhile - if you're a regular you'll ...

A decent-ish sized post office with friendly staff and a good selection of stationary, cards & pens on sale - just in case you don't have anything to post! :) My only quipe is that it's difficult to find or even know it's there - I've been shopping here for years but only noticed the post office ...

They say at Starbucks: "it's not the coffee, it's the coffee experience" - for me, the Blackrock Starbucks does both well! I'm glad... as I must admit I had mixed emotions when I heard that Starbucks would be opening a branch in the old post office building in Blackrock - happy that there was goi...

One of the nicest cafés that I've ever been to, I always stop off here on the way to Baltinglass. They serve great soup and the coffee is excellent, the illy sign hanging just outside the door is testament to this - four stars from me!

This section of the Clonskeagh Road is home to two very different pubs. So depending on my mood I visit the appropriate one - O'Sheas if I've already had my dinner and I'm in the mood for a quiet pint and Ashtons if I haven't eaten and I'm feeling that little bit more sophisticated! Just the othe...

I agree with Rory S. - this place rocks, the most enjoyable and rewarding piece of DIY that I've ever done!! For me, this place is the real gourmet burger.

Stumbled upon this place one night.... literally, it was late! A welcome change from the usual after pub food like burgers, kebabs and chips. I don't want to comment hugely on the quality of the pizza but I don't remember having too many complaints so it must be pretty good - three stars from me!

A little off the beaten track and not being from the area, I only came across this place by pure chance while trying to take a short-cut to Dundrum during heavy traffic - thanks to the eye-catching and inviting façade of Bin No. 9 it turned out to be a long cut in the end! This place is a textboo...

If like me you're into trying different beers, then this is the place for you. Redmond's must have one of the best selections of beer this side of the city. It's also recently had a bit of a face-lift and it's the wine section that seems to have benefited the most from it, as there now appears to...

Steps of Rome is downturn friendly as it means you can still enjoy genuine Italian fare for the price of a Dublin Bus fare (and not a trip to Rome!). This place serves-up some of the best coffee and tastiest pizza you'll find in Dublin. For me, it's the ideal shopping pit stop and the main reason...

Once you acclimatise to the overpowering smell in this place, there's fantastic cheeses to be discovered here. You'll also be greeted by helpful and extremely knowledgeable staff who will offer you a little taster of each cheese before you make your selection. On my most recent trip here, I was l...

I was a big fan of Casanova in Stillorgan but sadly it is no longer with us so I now have to trek that little bit further to get my fix. That said, the food and pizza is just as good here and the place is just as cosy and authentically Italian as Stillorgan was. The staff are friendly (& Italian!...

First class watering hole, serving-up text book Guinness. Made famous in recent years by the RTÉ television drama 'Bachelors Walk' (as the local of the bachelors). The decor in this place hasn't changed as long as I've been frequenting the place and nor should it! Busy at the weekends but the per...

Once you get over the initial shock and your eyes adjust to the unnaturally bright lights, there are deals to be found here. The key to this place is to be there when a shipment arrives, apparently you can do this by signing-up to their 'hot arrivals' newsletter on their web site. On my most rece...

Close to town, this is a handy garage with a good 24-hour shop, slightly cramped forecourt and a bog standard car wash. Unlike me, don't be fooled by the large green apple hanging from the sign, apparently this place is not as environmentally friendly as the design might suggest!

While inexpensive and in close proximity to Bray Main Street, it's not what you could describe as a local secret as this car park is seriously overcrowded and something of a bottleneck during busy shopping times.

Roy Fox is an old skool green grocer and in my opinion it's one of the best to be found this side of the city. This place is a must if you're looking for fresh fruit and vegetables and the fact that it's been around this long (with the convenience that the big supermarkets and spars offer) is tes...

I had always walked by Muji thinking I'd like to go in there and on Saturday, I did! While Muji is most definitely the smallest "department store" I've ever been in, there's lots to look at and play with. Unanticipated, I left with a pair of slippers and I don't even wear slippers - a testament t...

Grabbed a bite to eat here last night, it wasn't my first time to eat in a Café Bar Deli (nor will it be my last!). I had the antipasti misto to start and penne all'arrabbiata for my main all washed down with a couple of Sol beers (a corona-like beer), all excellent. Now don't get me wrong the fo...

Great facilities all round - the Leinster Rugby Team train here so it's got to be good! That said, you do feel more like a customer than a member here and the place feels more like a business than a club. So if it's gym and pool membership you want look no further but if it's tennis and socialisi...

Got a key cut here today and thanks to a brief education by the owner I'm proud to say that I now know the difference between getting a Chubb key & a Mortice key cut - €2.50 apparently! My (Mortice) key was cut while I waited and works so what more can I say - good job! While I was waiting, I ove...

Popped in here for an espresso this morning after spotting the illy sign hanging in the window. Once inside, I was (pleasantly) surprised to find myself surrounded by a selection of fine wines, with the largest shelf of organic wine that I've ever seen. It was a good thing it was early in the mor...

A real local's local - comfortable lounge, great Guinness, attentive lounge staff (so you only need to get up from your seat to go to the toilet!), good wholesome bar food, large well-positioned TVs (for matches), safe overnight parking - Gleesons is probably the only pub in Dublin that Carlsberg...

I really like Poppies in Enniskerry and was really excited to hear that Poppies was opening in the Dundrum Town Centre. Hoping the initial novelty had worn-off (since it's opening a couple of weeks ago), I headed down there for lunch today. It's definitely got a homely country feel to it as it's ...

Although a recent enough phenomenon, I like cafés in bookshops - coffee and books seem to go well together. Popped in here for lunch on Sunday, grabbed a paper off the stand, a toasted sandwich and an espresso - a little on the pricey side but exactly what I wanted. The coffee was also surprising...

It's renaissance time at The Burlington, good bye to the good old days of Buck Mulligan's bar and Annabels - hello Bellini! I was in here on Friday night at a friend's engagement party and boy were the staff glad to see all of us walking in... Bellini's is yet to be discovered and because of it's...

I've been to a few big stadiums: The Bernabau, Nou Camp, Millennium Stadium... That said, I still think Croke Park is one of the best in Europe. We're lucky as it's quite unusual to have such a large stadium so close to the city centre and I feel this really adds to the pre & post match atmospher...

Not being a big golfer... I was heading off on a golf trip to Ballina last weekend and after looking at the weather forecast I decided that this was probably the right time to invest in some wet gear. A friend had tipped me off that Green 18 was having a sale so I thought I'd check it out. Usuall...

I grabbed a quick bite to eat here last night before the Ireland V Cyprus game and I was pleasantly surprised - Giovanni Trapattoni would be proud of this place! This is a very classy yet understated Italian café serving-up some of the best espresso and gnocchi I've tasted here in Ireland (photos...

Could the real gourmet burger please stand-up? I know I remarked on this in my last review but seriously is it just me or has there been a total invasion of "Michelin Star" burger establishments in Dublin in just the past few months!? I'm not really complaining as once again my eternal quest for ...

Another, in what appears to be an invasion of sophisticated burger joints. While this is doing a "me too", it does it well - the burgers are good and as Tony F. rightly points out the Kobe burgers (while not on the large side) are really excellent. The staff are also very helpful and are eager to...

Grabbed breakfast here yesterday morning. Good food and excellent service (I chopped and changed the breakfast menu without a problem - I'm not a huge egg fan and such chopping and changing usually irritates the staff in other places). The other great thing about this place is all the glass - it ...

This Marks & Spencer has been revamped since the last time I was there. The food hall looks a lot better, there are now two cafés and there is a brand new electronics dept... and no, it doesn't stock 'St. Michael' TVs (like I thought it might!). It actually has a good selection of some well known...

I was in here briefly at the weekend. First off, this place is big and you can buy everything here from a tin of paint to a fridge freezer. They even have a café if you fancy making a day of it! While DIY is not my thing, I can safely say that for the DIY junkies out there, you'll probably find B...

Whenever I get a 'Saba to go' (the Asian takeaway just around the corner) I usually grab a bottle of wine from here (day of the week permitting!). Deveney's is an old skool off licence and has a much better selection of wine than it's Tesco counterpart (across the road). If you're into your white...

I was in the South William at the weekend and as the description says, it's a young hip urban hangout (with an underlying Cuban/Latin feel... but maybe that's just me!). I was a bit late for the lunchtime pies so had to make do with a couple of pints instead. On one of many trips to the bar I spi...

When it comes to tyre issues, Shankill Tyres is my first port of call and Brendan, the owner, always sorts me out. It's quick and in my opinion your car gets a lot more care and attention than it would get if you were to drop it into one of the big tyre & exhaust fitting chains. There's been a fe...

Great breakfast... washed down with a only very mediocre double espresso. I reckon if Howards Way were to invest in a decent coffee machine this place would be the ultimate breakfast joint. As it stands, it's four stars from me!

The first thing that strikes you about Carluccio's is the design. Both the interior and exterior looks great... I must admit this made me a little bit nervous as I'm always wary of stylish Italian things - take Alfa Romeos for example, nice to look at but not hugely reliable! For me, Carluccio's ...

This place is old skool. Oliver (the owner & resident barber) runs the show here and you can really tell he cares about every cut. The only drawback is that he works on his own so if there's any kind of queue you may have to wait a bit (due to his attention to detail) - but everyone gets their tu...

Best takeaway in the city in my opinion. I've never eaten in the Saba restaurant in town so I can't compare the two but if it's takeaway food is anything to go by the restaurant itself must be superb. 'Saba to go' is a busy takeaway but even at the busiest times (like last Friday night!) they nev...

Rowans is a current lunchtime haunt of mine. Rowans is an old style delicatessen with a large counter stretching from one end of the shop to the other. No matter where you look you are greeted by well stacked shelves, packed with everything from fine wine to cornflakes to freshly baked bread. You...

This is a classy wine shop with a good selection of wine, everything from Château Musar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The staff are helpful and in my experience as well trained as any sommelier. That said, you pay for the experience and to be honest I really only buy presents here (as a bottle of wine ...

I used to be a member here when I was a kid and still play here regularly. It's an open and forgiving course (or so I've been told by more seasoned golfers!). The greens and course are kept immaculately. The sea views from the back nine are great and you can catch some really great sunsets here o...

I returned recently to Lincoln's Inn (my old alma mater) to find out that it had been completely gutted and transformed into a modern day watering hole (minus the old pool table in the basement unfortunately!). I'm not usually a fan of refurbished 'auld mans' pubs and especially not of the one's ...

Not in my local area and desperately in need of a decent coffee, I stumbled upon what can only be described as the Italian quarter of Howth or 'Il Panorama Café' as it's known locally. I stepped up to the counter with the expectation of ordering an espresso "to go" and was greeted by a "Ciao!" (w...

Smyth's is a 'Select Bar'. While I'm not 100% sure what that means, from what I've seen at closing-time here, I'm taking it that Smyth's is probably not as selective as it might once have been. My preference is to drink in the bar here, I'm not sure why this is as there's not a massive difference...

True to it's name, Café Mao has led a revolution of it's own - although somewhat less controversial than the cultural variety it's namesake was responsible for. Café Mao (along with a few other pioneers) has contributed to revolutionising the mid-range dining experience here in Dublin. It has hel...

I like Chapter One a lot, in my opinion it has one of the best pre-theatre menus in Dublin and funnily enough it's probably the only pre-theatre restaurant where I actually go to the theatre after it! Having enjoyed both the standard à la carte and private dining here, I still feel the best way t...

The Waterloo used to be a great "auld mans" pub but like Napoleon, the Waterloo has surrendered itself to the "norm". It's now a modern Dublin Pub with the usual taupe coloured walls, large beige lamp shades and brown leather upholstered seats. I still go there but miss the old Waterloo immensely...

While located about thirty-five minutes away from Dublin's city centre, Shanganagh Park is within easy striking distance from most of south county Dublin. Until the other day, I had only experienced this park from the eyes of a 30-year old man but seeing my 6 and 12 year old cousins playing here ...

Café Inna is a tightly run ship and it shows. The coffee's good and the food menu is just right. There's a good selection of things to choose from but being a creature of habit I haven't really done the menu justice - panino and espresso (of the double variety) are my staple diet here and the rea...

Pulled my own pints last night - a fun but dangerous experience!

I never seem to be able to remember this place when I go out... perhaps I should clarify that slightly, I always seem to forget to stop-off here on my way home from the pub and I'm consistently reminded of this fact the morning after. Ismael Kebap serves-up some of the best post-pub grub money ca...

'Wilde & Greene' is a cross between Avoca Café and Donnybrook Fair with a touch of Wilde and a sprinkle of green. I ate lunch here last week and found both my sandwich and espresso to be excellent. That said, I do feel Wilde & Greene lacks identity. What I mean by this is that it's not really a s...

I'm usually what people would call a creature of habit, however when it comes to going to the cinema I display no loyalty whatsoever. That said, Movies@Dundrum has been my cinema of choice now for over 12 months. It's clean (as far as I can tell with the lights off!), the seats are good, the soun...

First off, I'm only awarding this place three stars because I'm very much in two minds. There's some really good things about Barracuda but equally there are some not-so-good things too... so do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first? Well, the good news is that if you're lucky enou...

The Stags Head is one of the oldest pubs in Dublin and is one my old favourites too. Sure it might be a bit of a tourist trap but it's one I like to fall into whenever I'm in the area (and low and behold it happened again just last week!). I came across this place when I was in college as they us...

The only 'Super Pub' on Dawson Street as far as I'm concerned (..the others are just wannabes!). It's had a revamp in recent years which has only helped to increase its popularity, not a good thing really as it can only handle about fifty people at a time (and that's being generous). The Guinness...

First off, I must confess that I'm a big fan of Pinocchio's sister café Sapori 'Campo dè Fiori' in Bray, therefore I'd be lying (no pun intended!) if I said that I didn't go here with high expectations. Realising that Sapori 'Campo dè Fiori' is a tough act to follow, Pinocchio Café does pretty we...